Hyundai Sonata

Just rented a new Sonata while car is at the shop. The car has only 6,600 miles and both the steering and the suspension feel as if driving an old car. The steering has more play than my father's old 68 Pontiac Tempest without power steering. The suspension is busy and feels as if it were to fall from the car. A couple of years ago, had the same experience with a prior version of the Sonata that I rented, but at that time I gave the car the benefit of the doubt because the car appeared to have gone through an accident and repaired.

This is a pity because for a family car, engine and transmission feel good.

Honestly, I had higher hopes for Hyundai. Also happy that my son never bought a Genesis Coupe I recommended him one year ago.

I agree about the fun factor and tuning. They have grade A design inside and out (though Hyundai dabbles in over-designing a few models), but underneath they're a generation away from getting the formula right.

I agree. Just because they look good doesnt mean they are better than Japanese counterparts. Hyundai/Kia lack skills in tuning department and fun factor, people buy them just for 10yrs warranty.

bdean:Funny how the reviews have the Optima SX having better tuning than the Camcord.

Same goes for Kia's products overseas where there have been plenty of complaints about the ride in the new Yaris unlike the new Rio.

And where is your proof for that?Every tester have praised the Accord's chassis and steering feel. Heck this gen of Accord is on C&D 10 best list every year.I dunno about Camry but at least Toyota offers flappy paddles that blips the throttle every time you downshift unlike Optima SX where there is no rev matching.

Most auto publications have been so-so about the chassis and steering feel on the Accord (stating that it had lost the touch prior Accords have had) and while better than avg. for the segment, a good deal behind the leader, the Mazda6.

As for C&D, everyone knows that they are a Honda (wh*re), just as they are for BMW (but at least the 3 Series still merits being on the list).

There are a good no. of longtime Accord owners (posting on Honda/Acura boards) who state the Optima SX is a more fun drive than the Accord.

no seriously zzzzzzzz when are you going to leave this forum.... I bet you have no people in your life..... The 4 year old accord kicked the ass of the barely 1 year old sonata in the latest C&D comparison for midsized sedans.... So please sthu already....

Geee u bet even GMlexus got annoyed by you!!

------------------------Me Biased?? Absolutely!!! The day I cheer an Effin Foreign company over a Domestic one is the day I need Obama himself to show up at my house and kick my sell-out ass outta this country, once and for all. -Camicasa ------------------------Honda's John Mendel: "We love being the comeback kid, over and over and over again. It keeps us young."------------------------It's shocking how taking a dead-simple American V8 and replacing it with a forced-inducted V6 to achieve less

In my many years of selling cars i have sold new toyota, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Chrysler and Honda.

I was selling Kia form april of 2009 to October of 2011. I currently work at a Chevy dealer.

With all that being said it is my opinion that Kia has the overall best car in the Optima.

I drive hundreds of car a year when I appraise them for customers at my dealership. When it comes to fit and finish I consider my self an expert on cars. If i am not I am going to cost the dealership money and my job.

my .02
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Acura4ever:no seriously zzzzzzzz when are you going to leave this forum.... I bet you have no people in your life..... The 4 year old accord kicked the ass of the barely 1 year old sonata in the latest C&D comparison for midsized sedans.... So please sthu already....

Geee u bet even GMlexus got annoyed by you!!

Get real, are you going to base everything on one comparison, esp. being C&D and everyone knows C&D is a Honda "wh*re"? lol

Not one of the mainstream mid-sizers has won all the comparisons, but for 2011, the Sonata has won the majority of them (but most were done before the new Passat, which has been cleaning up in the comparisons, launched - so right now, I'd give the Passat the edge).

Now having said that, the Optima is actually better than the Sonata, but gets overlooked in the comparisons due to being the smaller brand, but in individual reviews the Optima consistently outshines both the Sonata and Accord (as bman can attest to).

Having worked at dealers that sold GM, Kia/Hyundai, Honda, and Ford, and as the owner of a 2011 Sonata Se, I have this to say-

1) Basing an assessment on a rental car is always a bad idea. They've usually been beat to hell, and unless you get it while it's relatively new to the rental agency, it's going to feel as fresh as a consumer-owned car will.

2) Having said that, I own a 2011 Sonata SE with 40K miles on it and have plenty to complain about-

- The ride is rough and jouncy. While it's more pronounced in my car because it's the 'sporty' SE, even the base cars with the 16"s don't ride the greatest.

- Noise. Lots of it. From the road, from the wind, from the engine. They must have skimped on the sound deadening, because at highway speeds, there's a whooshing noise at the base of the rear of the center console so loud, it'll make you think a window is cracked.

- The engine, while making good power, is rather devoid of character, and sounds/feels very coarse. This is partly because it's direct injected, but other makers' DI engines aren't as bad in this aspect. It propels the car well, but doesn't inspire spirited driving or sound good the way a 2.4 Accord does.

- The seats, while comfortable at first, quickly get tiresome on long drives. I'm usually very lenient on a vehicle's seats, but I just can't find sweet spot on long drives. It gets almost unbearable. Also, the cross-weave texture on the grey and black interiored cars sucks, and doesn't feel good.

On the upside, the content for the price is unmatched (except Kia), the standard stereo is great, the mileage is awesome, and it's a great looking car.

3) As for it being a generation behind, that's nonsense. It doesn't drive as good as the Accord by any means, but it has the edge in the equipment and pricing. Cars have tradeoffs. A car might excel in one area, but be behind in others. It's the price you pay for having competitively priced products. They can't make them perfect at everything.

4) I disagree about the Optima being best in class. It has the same pitfalls as the Sonata. It just comes with the pros of looking better is top-spec models and having even more equipment. Whoever said it drives better and sportier than an Accord is crazy. I don't even like Honda, and will be the first to complain about it's price and styling, but the Accord drives amazing. There's a reason why they still sell so well.

Frisky_Dingo:Having worked at dealers that sold GM, Kia/Hyundai, Honda, and Ford, and as the owner of a 2011 Sonata Se, I have this to say-

1) Basing an assessment on a rental car is always a bad idea. They've usually been beat to hell, and unless you get it while it's relatively new to the rental agency, it's going to feel as fresh as a consumer-owned car will.

2) Having said that, I own a 2011 Sonata SE with 40K miles on it and have plenty to complain about-

- The ride is rough and jouncy. While it's more pronounced in my car because it's the 'sporty' SE, even the base cars with the 16"s don't ride the greatest.

- Noise. Lots of it. From the road, from the wind, from the engine. They must have skimped on the sound deadening, because at highway speeds, there's a whooshing noise at the base of the rear of the center console so loud, it'll make you think a window is cracked.

- The engine, while making good power, is rather devoid of character, and sounds/feels very coarse. This is partly because it's direct injected, but other makers' DI engines aren't as bad in this aspect. It propels the car well, but doesn't inspire spirited driving or sound good the way a 2.4 Accord does.

- The seats, while comfortable at first, quickly get tiresome on long drives. I'm usually very lenient on a vehicle's seats, but I just can't find sweet spot on long drives. It gets almost unbearable. Also, the cross-weave texture on the grey and black interiored cars sucks, and doesn't feel good.

On the upside, the content for the price is unmatched (except Kia), the standard stereo is great, the mileage is awesome, and it's a great looking car.

3) As for it being a generation behind, that's nonsense. It doesn't drive as good as the Accord by any means, but it has the edge in the equipment and pricing. Cars have tradeoffs. A car might excel in one area, but be behind in others. It's the price you pay for having competitively priced products. They can't make them perfect at everything.

4) I disagree about the Optima being best in class. It has the same pitfalls as the Sonata. It just comes with the pros of looking better is top-spec models and having even more equipment. Whoever said it drives better and sportier than an Accord is crazy. I don't even like Honda, and will be the first to complain about it's price and styling, but the Accord drives amazing. There's a reason why they still sell so well.

I would disagree with you on engine noise, but noise is subjective. I found the engine to be one of the most refined in the class under acceleration but somewhat rhaspy (try having a Jetta 2.5, Subaru boxer 2.5, or Accord 2.4 and you will learn what real noise is in this segment). Otherwise, I agree with your opinion on Sonata's flaws by my experience with a track event from Hyundai and a few test drives.

You can get a good feel during an extended test drive or rental for almost any car. You are always bound to miss something or change your mind a few times, but the same thing comes with ownership.

The Accord 4-cylinder is probably the best overall handling car in the segment.